Golf tee



Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENTI GFFICE GIrOLF| TEE Fred C. Penny, Avalon, Calif., assigner of onehalf to Harry D. Difin, Avalon, Calif.

Application July 29, 1932, Serial No. 626,120

6 Claims.

. preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawing:--

Figure l is a general front elevational view of one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a back View of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 through the middle of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar horizontal sectional View taken through the lower part of Figure l approximately on the line 5-5.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of a diierent form of the invention.

Figure '7 is a back view of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view taken at right angles to Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken 'approximately on the line 9--9 through the lower part of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a back elevational view of a still further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 11 is a front elevational view thereof.

Figure 12 is a view taken at right angles to Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the lower part of Figure 12 taken approximately on the line I3-I3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the illustrated forms of the invention are individually designated by the letters A, B, and C, respectively.

The embodiment or form A comprises a gobletshaped head 5 having a cupped golf ball receiving depression 6 in its top, and from the goblet-shaped head depends a round tapering shank 1 provided on its front side with angulated fiat side portions which define a knife edge 8 extending the full length of the shank almost to the top of the goblet formation 5, the said edge being arranged to cut forwardly into the ground in the same direction as the ball is propelled when the ball and the back of the tee are struck by the club in driving the ball. The upper part of the back of the shank 'i is smoothed and rounded as indicated at 9 for quite a distance below the head 5, that is, to a point below the middle of the shank, as indicated at Id. The lower part of the back has a short knife edge l i. cross sections at verticaily spaced points of the shank l will be understood by consulting Figures 4 and 5. It is to be observed that the rounded back 9 is presented to the club head as the drive is made, so that neither the club head, such as a 10 soft wooden head, nor the tee is injured by the impact. Because of the forward position of the knife edge 3 and the position of the knife edge I I at the back of the tee, forward tilting movement of the tee as the ball is struck will cause the upper 1555 part of the tee to dig forwardly and the lower part of the back of the tee rearwardly into the ground so that the tee takes a new purchase in the ground instead of flying from the ground and becoming lost.

Comparing embodiments A and B it will be noted that the front and back views thereof show the goblet-shaped part, while the views taken at right angles to the front and back views, do not disclose the bulged sides on the head, but show only the tapered form of the head. In embodiment B shown in Figures 6 and 7 and which does not have the bulging sides on the head, the designating numerals are arranged to correspond with the designating numerals in the embodiment A described above, but in the showing of the embodiment B there is added to each designating numeral the distinguishing letter b.

In the embodiment B there is provided instead of the knife edge i2 a rounded groove in the back 35 v of the shank which extends from a point It near the middle of the shank to and through the lower end of the shank, as indicated at I3. It is to be observed in Figure 8 that the sides of the groove are as a result of the grooving, slightly cusped inwardly as indicated at Elib and sharp. In the front View shown in Figure 7, the knife edge 8b is present as it is in the form or embodiment A and performs the same functions. It will be obvious that as the upper part of the tee in the em- The different 5 VVvent breaking of the tee and dislodgment thereof and B, andthe head b is similar to the head 5 in embodiment A, but instead of having a short knife edge on' the backrreaching from the point luc to the lowerV end of the shank, the embodiment C hasY simply a narrow flattened portion l5 which acts rearwardly against the earth as the tee is thrown forwardly when struck. The width of the narrow flat portion l5 is defined by the ksides which form the'front knife edge.Y These sidesV are more acutely angulated and extend farther toward the back of the shank than the corresponding sides. in the embodiments A and B, as will be evident in Figure 12.

It will be observed that in all forms or embodiments of the invention,'the arrangement of securing a plurality of the tees in a stick may be practiced, so kthat the user will be protected against the inqury and inconvenience which accompanies carrying about several of the tees loosely in the pockets. 'The material for making the tees is preferably celluloid or similar materials in VVpublic favor. Ease of'accurate application to the ground is common to all forms of the invention, and as before stated, the contours and features of the tees of the invention prevent injury to soft wooden club heads, and prevent loss and defacing of the tees from being struck in the Yact. of driving.

Although I have shown and described herein preferredembodiments of my invention, it is to beV definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, Vand any change or changes may be made in material and structure and arrangement of parts,

Within the spirit of the invention of the subjoined claims.

What I claim as new ist- Y l'. A golf tee comprising a globular head for supporting a ball, a tapered shank Vdepending from said head, a knife edge extending along the front of the shank vand head,a groove exand the scope M Y tending only along a lower part of the back side of thershank and defining a pair of ground eni 45 gaging rearwardly directed sharp edges; I

2. A golf tee consisting of a conical body having a ball receiving depression'V in its larger and upper end, the front of said body having a knife edge extending substantially the full height of the body and arranged to cut forwardly into the ground when the upper part of the back of the tee is struck andthe tee is tilted forwardly in driving a ball from the tee, the lower part of the back of the body having a verticalV sharpened portion extending downwardly from a point intermediate the upper and lower ends of said Vbody to the lower end thereof, said vertical sharpened portion being arranged to cut sufficiently rearwardly into the ground when the upper part of thevtee is tilted forwardly by the impact to prefrom the ground by the impact, the portion of the back of the body above the upper end of said vertical sharpened portion having the full contour of the upper Ypart of the body so as to present a broad/impact receiving surface, said ver- Y tical sharpened portion consisting of a pair of rearwardly directed substantially parallelly spaced sharp edges.l 70:

jecting forwardly therefrom a knife edge extending substantially the full height of the body in position to cut forwardly into the ground when the upper part of the backV of the tee is struck in driving a ball from the tee, the lower part -5 of the back of the body having a vertical sharpened portion extending downwardly from a point intermediate the upper and lower ends of said body tothe lower end thereof, said vertical sharpened portion beingV arranged to cut sufciently rearwardly into the ground when the upper part of the tee is tilted forwardly by the impact to prevent breaking of the tee and dislodgment thereof from the ground by the impact, the back of the body abovetheupper end of said vertical sharpened portion having the full contour of the upper part of the bodyso as Ato present abroad impact receiving surface, said vertical sharpened Y portioncomprising a pair of spaced sharp edges, the lower part of the back of the body between saidV pair of sharp edges being formed with a vertical .groove providing a chamber normally partly empty to accommodate more ground substance as the tee is tilted forwardly so that the rearward movement of said sharpedges into the V ground is facilitated. Y y

4. A golf tee comprising a conical body having a ball seating depression in its large and upper end, opposite side portions of the forward face of said body being flattened and angularly di's- 30 posed to provide a sharp edge extending fromV the lower end of the body to a point near the top of the body, a short groove in the opposite and rear face of said body and running from a point spaced belowthe upper end of the body to the lower end of the body and defining a pair of relatively sharp rearwardly directed edges.

5. A golf tee comprising a conical body having a ballseating depression in its large and upper end, opposite side portions of the forward face 405 of said body. being flattened and angularly disposed to provide a sharp edge extending from the lower end of the body to a point near the top ofthe body, a short groove in the opposite and rear face of said body and running from a 45.

point spaced below the upper end of the body to the lower end of the body and defining a pair of relatively sharp edges, said groove being substantially semicircular in cross section.

6. A golf tee comprising a large cup-shaped 50.

head, a relatively small shank depending from said head, said shank being'of substantially circular cross section and tapering uniformly from its top to its bottom, a vertically disposed wedgeshaped edge on and projecting radially outwardly V.

the lower end of the shank to a point spaced below 55jthe upper end of the back of the shank, the lower part of the back of the shankbeing formed with a groove lying between and coextensive with said wedge-shaped projections, the back of the shank above the upper ends of said projections and said groove being unencumbered so as to present a broad rounded impact surface.

FRED C. PENNY. 

